


Nail Polish

by clantail (ideallyqualia)



Category: Gatchaman Crowds
Genre: Canon Universe, F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, Post-Canon, Shopping, Spoilers, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 20:11:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2824670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ideallyqualia/pseuds/clantail
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rui just needed to go on a simple shopping trip, but Hajime wouldn't let that happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nail Polish

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EvilMuffins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilMuffins/gifts).



> I'm not your yule goat, but after I finished my official assignment your letter caught my eye, and I saw that no one has written for this ship yet, so I decided to write it. Enjoy the fluffiness! Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Hajime took it upon herself to visit Rui after the almost-catastrophe, skipping into his home once she squeezed out his address from him. He was exasperated at first, but her incredible cheer left him sighing in resignation, opening the door for her to step in and stare at the large computer screen.   

She gave a curious glance around, clasping her hands behind her and leaning over to inspect everything. X greeted her, registering her voice and responding to her delighted chatter. When Rui opened his mouth and said he was thinking about what to do with his Gatchaman notebook, though, Hajime quickly redirected her attention to him.

"Oh? You want to join us?"

"That's…not what I said…"

Her eyes brightened. "You should!" She nodded her head and grabbed his hands, raising them in the air. "Join us!"

Rui didn't appreciate her chanting as if he was being invited into a cult, and he pulled his hands away.

"I don't have any intention of using the power. I just don't know what to do with it."

"Oh." She deflated for a moment, but she perked up when X caught their attention.

"We're going to run out of bread and milk soon, Rui."

Rui ducked his head in embarrassment. "You decided to say it  _now?"_

X waited a moment before saying, "Is something wrong?"

Hajime did a happy hop. "Let's go shopping!" 

Rui's mouth twitched. "I'm not exactly ready to leave right now."

Hajime wasn't fooled, though. Rui already had on his blond wig and matching outfit, despite lounging around in his home. She tugged on his wrist.

"You look fine, Rui." With her other hand, she reached over and fluffed his hair up. She opened her mouth in pleasant surprise when she noticed how his ponytail bounced. "Oh!"

Rui leaned away. "...I'll get ready." 

Hajime clapped her hands together and gave a joyful squeal. "Really?!" She turned and slipped her shoes on, talking to herself about stores and sales and a new restaurant she wanted to try. 

Rui raised his arms in the air, a palm directed towards her. "We're just going to go buy groceries."

 

* * *

 

They didn't go to just the grocery store. Hajime roped him into visiting a novelty stationary shop, where she paused in front of each shelf of erasers.

"What about this one, Rui?" She poked at a packaged eraser in the shape of a piano.

Rui tried keeping up with her, but her interest encompassed anything pretty or cute. She was genuinely content to look and talk about anything eye-catching, and Rui struggled to come up with something to say each time. Hajime rarely gave him enough time to respond, not concerned about it. 

"Oh, and this one, too!" She smiled at a kitten with a bow in another package. Rui tried to look over her shoulder, but Hajime had already caught sight of a package of vegetables.

"Isn't this carrot cute?" She raised them to his eye level on her palms. "I think I'll buy these!"

Rui sighed. "I…agree?"

She bought it in a flash, tucking it into her bag and spinning back to him. "Let's go there, next!" She pointed out the window at a shop across the street, towards a bakery.

"The supermarket has a bakery, though. We'd save time going there."

Hajime waved a hand. "No, but this is a  _bakery,_ Rui."

When they arrived, he failed to see the difference. The displays looked the same to him, cupcakes and pastries lined up on trays beside price signs. Hajime bent over and made faces at the goods, cooing and tapping the glass lightly. He noticed her drifting towards a row of strawberry shortcakes, and she paused to watch them raptly.

"Would you like me to buy you one, Hajime?"

She beamed up at him, but shook her head. "I have money." After the purchase, she led them both to a small empty table, and she nibbled on each piece she scooped with her fork.  She wrinkled her nose when whipped cream landed on it, and Rui handed her a napkin.

"Thanks, Rui!" She sliced a piece off and held it off with her fork. "Want to try some?"

He opened his mouth in thought, but she took it as a cue to go ahead, lifting the fork into his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise, but he took a bite anyway, swallowing and flushing at the gesture.

She smiled. 

Afterward, he finally convinced her to head to the grocery store, but the trip was further derailed by a small beauty shop spotted by Hajime. She zoned in and walked over right away, linking an arm with Rui and causing him to stumble after.

Inside, she stepped up to the nail polish section, peering around at the brighter colors. She picked up a bottle of purple, and she splayed her other hand in the air, spreading her fingers.

"You're planning on painting your nails?"

Hajime turned to him and nodded. She held the bottle up to him. "Do you like this color?"

Rui glanced at his own nails, his eyebrows drawing together in thought. "Purple is nice, but… I think I'll get blue for myself." He reached for a light blue, and Hajime hooted, both of her hands circling Rui's.

"That's a pretty color!" 

Rui's eyes glanced at her hands. They were warm and soft, and he felt a small thrum at the contact. 

She removed them and swapped her purple choice for a bright pink. "I really like bubble gum colors." She brought it closer to inspect, turning it over in her hand.

"Bubble gum?"

"Yeah!" She looked up. "Aren't we going to paint our nails?"

He spluttered. "When did I agree to that?"

"Just now," she said matter-of-factly.

"No I didn't."

"Well, don't you want to?" She ignored his surprise and walked to the register, plucking his nail polish and paying for both.

That was one baffling thing Rui couldn't understand about her. She was never embarrassed about anything, and was so honest about everything she said. She treated her words as casual truth, not startled by anyone's response and making something easy to believe as normal or correct from the start. He supposed it was amusing right now, at least, making it easy for him to agree to something he wanted anyway.

They finally went to the grocery store last, and Hajime trailed after him as he carried the items to the register. She skipped and hummed, tapping her feet when they waited in line. 

"Can we paint our nails right after this?" she asked.

"Of course."

Hajime resumed humming, walking beside him back home. When they arrived, she plopped down on his couch, pulling out the nail polish bottles as he deposited the groceries in the fridge. She patted the seat next to her, wiggling on the cushion she sat on. 

"Blue first?"

He nodded, but when he reached for it, she pulled back and waggled a finger.

"Nope! I'll do yours first!"

"I know how to paint nails, though. I can do it myself." 

She grabbed his hand and pulled it closer, puffing her cheeks. "Let me do it." She dipped his hand down, and with her other hand, she twisted the cap off and glided the brush over his nail. She stuck out her tongue in concentration, pinning it to the corner of her mouth.

Hajime chatted with him as she worked, switching bottles to alternate colors on his nails. Rui had to admit that she had steady precision, never once straying off his nail onto his skin. He was prone to doing that, no matter how much experience he had. 

"Done!" she released his hand, and he lifted it to examine. He felt his other hand being pulled, and the warmth of her hand returned. "How do you like it?"

Rui felt his mouth flip into a smile. "It's lovely."

She grinned back and started work on his second hand. He watched her continue smiling to herself as she resumed, and he felt the glossy flow of the brush again. Once she finished his second hand, she took his first again, tapping a dry nail and shifting each finger between hers 

"This one's dry now." She raised it to the air and nudged her lips to it, giving a gentle peck.

Rui snapped his hand back. "Wh-what was that?"

"I kissed it?" She tilted her head. "Your hand is nice."

"That's no reason to just do it!" 

"Yeah it is."

Rui pursed his mouth into a frown, his shoulders hiking up as he blushed. "Still. Please don't."

"Why not? I meant it." Hajime shifted over, placing both hands on his leg and balancing on them. "Do you want me to kiss you somewhere else instead?"

His mouth opened and closed, gawking at her words. "Why?"

"Because you like me?" She bottled the nail polish and handed the blue one back to him.

"Since when?"

Hajime shrugged. "I don't know. I just know."

Rui let out a sigh, brushing a hand through his hair. "I see…"

She leaned back and bumped their shoulders together. "Does that mean you'd like to be my boyfriend?"

He was taken aback. It was difficult maintaining nonchalance when she kept doing this, pressed on with uncomfortable questions she twisted to make them comfortable.

"I… Well…"

She leaned closer. "Hm?"

He dipped his head, breathing in and nodding. "I'd like that," he said softly. She gave a happy shout, tumbling over and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

Rui felt himself relax, sighing and smiling fondly. 

**Author's Note:**

> (General A/N that exists at the end of all my fics): I find unsolicited concrit really rude, I'm not looking for any. Please don't tell me someone was OOC/something happened you didn't like/it's too short/etc. in any bookmarks or comments.


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